Advertising device.



A. R; IVICCRERY.

ADVERTISING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.5.1917.

Patented June 25, 1918.

2 SHEETS-'SHEET I.

A.' R. IVICCREARY.

ADVERTISING DEVICE-` APPLlcATloN FILED AML-5.1917.

Patented June 25, 1918.

By IW 'A rromvfy "meegaat," y y f i f v lAppncanafndnprila1917i. 1@semino:159,991 i raad-lie Tovalliwzomz'tmay concerns ,y y i Be it known that I, ARTHUR R. `Mo CREARY, a citizen "of theUnitedStates, residing `at'KansasV City, in the.' county of Jackson andlStateofMissouri, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Advertising. Devices; .and I do declare the following to bewa full, clear, and exact deg scriptionof theinvention, such as lwill ,en-

able others'skilledintliefart to which itv appertainsl to-make Aand usefthe same, reference being had to the :accompanying drawings; and to 4theletters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a' part `of this'specification.` ,i 1 t f VMyfinvention' relates to advertisingt` devices and `has for. its'principal-object to pro-` videlmecha'nism `for :successively bringing letters into display pfosition to form words or"` ysentences whereby public attention will be attractedn l yIt" is' also ian: object?l of theinventionrto provideanendlesslink belt, wherein-each .eilinkfconsists, ofwaicarrying `member for la letter ori` symbol-, vand to `provide guide memberswhereby the ibeltV may i be successfully carriedl in "'anlinclined position iffidesired'. f -A further `.objectof` the,` invention isl to yI provide improvedmeans forzpivotallyconne'cting the belt :links`,-; for driving the belt and for illuminating ther-characters displayed. v

-In accomplishing these objects,4 Ifhave f1 f2 provided; improved ldetailsy 1 of structure the preferred forms of :whichare` illustrated; in the"r `accompanying` drawings, whereini 1' v V-wFigure '-Iis a perspective lviewgof lkan advertising device: constructed? according to part being broken away'for better illustrations" l l t "Figs II is a *transverse vertical 'section on; the line IIel-II, Fig.;l IV. Y f' i f 1 f 1 f Fig. RIII is-1a. transverse vertical, section 1 takenfo'n vtheline IIL-III, Figi IV. l

Fig; EIVY-is a 4longitudinal vertical--section particularlylillustrating the location of `:the

drivingf'mt'or 'and-*belt illuminating; lamps. f Fig-.nV isl a horizontal seetionalview illus7 trating the connection of the belt links-and the mounting ofthe character `platesfd z Figi VILlis'a-pdetaili,perspective view of a portion of the link belt showing the insertionofadouble widthl link. 1

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

l designates a housing which is preferably iraient.

oflsheet metal construction, is rectangular invertical cross section' and may be `made ofivarious lengths, and is provided with'a front side0pening2containing a transpar- -entspanel -3 `alongwhich the display is moved and through which it may be observed." 'The housing is also providedwith a hinged: covering/i Lwhich may be opened tdpermitinsertionor removal of the char? acter-,sfrom `the belt links or carriers and is `provided with'perforations 5,. for -`per` mitting a `circulation of air through the housing to prevent excessive heating by the lamps placedfjwit-hin the housing forrillu# minating the beltl characters.` Located withinthe` housing at its opposite ends` are shaft :carriers `6, comprising upper and 'loweri horizontal y lates V'If-"7 spaced byffvertical connecting standards 8 at their opposite sides, and revolubly mountedu-in each `oflsaid carrier platesWis a vertical shaft 9, `whereon upper and4 lower spaced drums ll0 andll areixedf and which carry an endless link belt l2; the lower drums being providedV with extended peripheral base flangesl for preventin the belt, during its travel, 'from 'being disp aced from the 'drumsny 'wl j fr s To rguideand support the belt as it travels between -th'elcarrying drums, I 'provide chan` nel `1 or :trough I tend between Eand are mounted at their op# posite endsf on the carrierlplates 7"? toslidablyzreceive *the `lower edges offthe belt and the Al'ip'perredgesof the belt are retained in alinementby. the downturnedv iianges 15 ofl angle fb'arsI16-16f' that `extend y between the carriers and are `adjustably attached vto thej-platesand serve, notonly as guide inelnbersfor the belt strands, but also afford means'` for; holding vthe end carriers ata` definite' Ispaced relation to maintain acer tainftensiononithebeltg f 'y ".llojactuatey the belt abouti `the jdrums, I provide `one ofi the end shafts 9 with adrivvf ing gear wheel 18, which is fixed tov the shaft,` and travels {in-mesh 'with` alsmaller gear. wheel 119,#keyed fon "a stubI shaft 20 thatiis revolubly carried inthe carrierplate 7.' f' lFixedf` on thevshaft 20andf overlying the gear'wheel119, isf a largerhgearwheel21v which travels in mesh with a gear wheel 22 i revolublyniounted oni the upper` end of the shaftf) and fixed to the under face of a pulley wheel 23. Mounted centrally within members `lei-'14', Vwhichl exy so the housing is an electric .motor 25 having a drive shaft 26 provided with a pulley gears, will revolve the shaft 9 and belt drums to move the belt within thehousingA so that thek -characters mounted thereonl will successively be brought indisplay po-A sition adjacent the panel 3.

' The belt 12, in itspreferred construction, comprises a plurality of metal link panels 30ofrectangular form, comprising vertical sidev rails 31 and horizontal end rails I32; the vertical rails being provided at their outer vedges with inturned flanges. 33 and the ybase rails with upturned flanges 34e forming channels whereintransparent character plates 35 may be slidably located, and the links are connected to form a continuous beltY by means of intermediate strips 36 having inturned anges 37 along their vertical edges forming channels for receiving the inner edges 'of the vertical panel Vrails 31 between the end. .rails 32 to provide apiv-` -otal connection between the links.

The strips-36 have an outstanding back rail 38, which is adapted to seat against the carrying drums 10-11 so that as `the belt travels therearound the character plates 35, whichv are preferably of glass, will beheld from the drum periphery toprevent end pressure thcreagainst and cracking of the plates.

The character plates35, are each removable-,from the belt linksand may ycontain letters which may be arranged ion'the belt to form words and sentences ;-the body of the plate being covered with an opaque material while the character is transparent.

Toy illuminate the characters, Il provide a number of lamps 40 which are located between the belt strandsy along a plate 42 spaced: from thel main base of the housing andwhich are .connectedfthrough a switch `(not shown), with` an electric circuit by circuit wires 43 'extended to the lamps between the housing floor members.

In order that pictures, etc., may be dis'- played by the belt which are -wider than the usual links, I provide special hinged connected links 45, F ig.v VI, wherein the horizontal rails at the hinged edges areremoved so that a picture or card `may be held bythe youter rails of two connected links. f i

Assuming thatthe parts are so constructed, in using the device the character .plates arearranged inthe belt links to form words and sentences which are successively brought into and from ydisplaying position before the panel 3 by operation yof the belt driving motor.

It isalso apparent that advertisin cards, pictnresor 7other articles may simi arly be Y displayed and that with the belt guide mechanism provided the belt may be operated in an inclined, horizontal or vertical position ywith equal success.

1 "Itis also apparent that the lighting means provided will enable the sign to be read or seen at night and will further attract attention to the display.

It Will be seen also that should a belt link break -cr become disconnected, it may be quickly and easily removed and replaced by asimilar link and that the operation of the device may be resumed without the insertion of an entirely new belt as is the case where continuous belt bands are used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. In a device of the character described comprising spaced drums, a belt operating over said drums and comprising a plurality of links; said links comprising opposite side and end rails, and connecting plates having back-turned edges forming facing pook ets for pivotally receiving the inner edges of the side rails of adj acent links to connect the latter for the purpose set forth.

- l2.'Ina device of the character described comprising spaced4 drums, a belt operating over said drums and kcomprising a plurality of links; said links comprising opposite side and end rails having inturned edges forming a pocket for receiving a panel, and connecting plates having back-turned longitudinal edges forming pockets for pivotally -receiving the inner edges of the side rails of adjacent links to pivotally connect the latter. A f

3. In a device of thecharacter described comprising spaced drums, a belt operating over Said drums and comprising a plurality of links, said links comprising opposite side and end connecting rails forming an open frame, said side rails and lower end rail having their outer edges turned outwardly to form a pocket for receiving a panel, connecting members for said links comprising plates having their longitudinal edges turned outwardly, then inwardly, -to form facing pockets for pivotally receiving the inner edges of the side rails of adjacent links, and having a longitudinal rail adapted for contacting the face of said drums to space the links therefrom for the purpose set forth. 1

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

ARTHUR R. MGCREARY.

Copies lof` this patent may be obtained forvelcents each, by addressing the Commisson'erof Patents, z; .n v v Washingtonvn. c. 

